Christian Siriano Fall/Winter 2016-2017 RTW – NYFW

Who says knitwear is not the best option when it comes to nightwear? Surely not Christian Siriano, who has recently unveiled one of his quirkiest and most unconventional lineups at New York Fashion Week. The Christian Siriano fall/winter 2016-2017 ready-to-wear collection takes everything that is conventionally confined to daywear or at least casual wear, and translates it to a more appealing array of evening looks that could be regarded as a hate it or love it collection.

“I wanted it to still feel like my woman, and be romantic and a little bit sexy, but I also think there’s some newness here. I wanted to change it up a little. To show that evening doesn’t have to be a gown,’ Siriano explained to Vogue, and his latest looks specifically emphasize such statements. Although he did leave room for some classics too, the wide feminine gowns taking the breath away for sure, Siriano mainly focused on quirky looks made of dramatic suits that could help anyone break the social norms, taking the best of both the female and male world. The collection’s main leitmotifs are in fact two: on the one hand we have a sort of knitwear evolution, while on the other a genderless revolution, which above all reinforces in us the feeling that the fashion industry is just about to revolutionize the world.

Siriano’s knitwear inspiration specifically comes from an American visual artist, who is very fond of and has a deep connection with knitting and working with various materials in general: Sheila Hicks. Siriano particularly took inspiration from Hicks’ ‘The Art of the Yarn’ latest retrospective, which romantically makes weaving a metaphor and celebrates the artist’s 50-year-long career, through which Hicks herself developed a passion for working with different materials and fibers. Just by looking at this collection it is possible to look through Hicks’ works too, thanks not only to the fashion designer’s great usage of knitwear, but also to the strong contrasting colors and delicate volumes.

“After researching her [Hicks’] work and the idea of yarn design as a form of art, I became inspired by all the many different techniques of knitting and weaving in fabrications. We looked at different ways to knit, twist and manipulate fabric into pieces that had structure but were still soft and elegant,’ Siriano explained later.

Aside from the black and gray ensembles, the Christian Siriano FW 2016-17 collection brings stand-out pieces all featuring bold accents of solid-colored hues and contrasting shades, such as green, fire red and yellow that are all enhanced by the collection’s voluminous lines, menswear-inspired cuts and, above all, geometrical patterns. Siriano played not only with billowy and hourglass silhouettes, but enjoyed mixing different design patters, such as vertical stripes, elliptic motifs and even psychedelic prints, which surely helped balance the lineup’s relaxed knitted patterns. Equally imposing were the few zebra-patterned deconstructed frocks, the frilled gowns and the off-shoulder tops, which will make many of you hopelessly fall in love with Siriano’s majestic tailoring skills.

Lastly, other interesting pieces include some more conventionally sophisticated evening looks wrapped in a delicate night blue velvet material and some lace embroidered total black outfits that are nothing but pure sensuality, although being not the most audacious in style.

With a strong passion for foreign cultures, contemporary art and fashion, Virginia is an enthusiastic editor and translator. When she is not writing, she likes to read books and eat chocolate (at the same time). She also likes to take too many pictures and collect too many comics.